My favorite part of the “dead period” of the NFL offseason is using the summer months to prepare for the NFL Draft. One of the most enjoyable parts of that is identifying potential breakout candidates at various positions.
When predicting breakout candidates, it’s essential to look for specific criteria. Some of these players may be first-year starters seizing a new opportunity to excel. Others may have shown intriguing tools in 2024 and could build on that in 2025.
Without further ado, here are some of the top breakout wide receiver candidates for the 2026 NFL Draft.
2026 NFL Draft’s Top Breakout Candidates at Wide Receiver
Zachariah Branch, Georgia
Zachariah Branch is widely known in college football circles, primarily for his accomplishments as a return specialist at USC prior to transferring to Georgia. However, his career-high in receiving yards sits at just 503 heading into the 2025 season.
There’s reason to believe Branch has breakout potential. He’s an elite athlete out of the slot with tremendous acceleration off the snap and agility after the catch. He has great vision with the ball in his hands, and his speed helps him stretch the field horizontally on drags and seams. His ball skills are impressive, as well.
Branch is considered a 2026 NFL Draft prospect as a junior for his athletic tools more so than his production. He’s an undersized receiver with average hands and a lack of top-notch physicality. But speed kills in the NFL, and Branch has it in spades. A new scheme could be the chance he needs to take on a bigger role on offense.
Nyck Harbor, South Carolina
Avid players of EA College Football 25 will know Nyck Harbor for his 99 speed rating at 6’5″ and 235 pounds. Indeed, it’s that unbelievable combination of size and athleticism that has him firmly on 2026 NFL Draft radars.
It hasn’t all come together for Harbor at the collegiate level, though. Heading into 2025, he hasn’t surpassed the 400 receiving-yard mark in a season at South Carolina. As a technician, he doesn’t disguise route concepts well or show much ability to adjust his stems to attack a defender’s blind spots in coverage. He still has a long way to go.
That said, Harbor’s upside is obvious. He has a huge catch radius and a chiseled frame that allows him to dominate above the rim. He’s a blazing-fast receiver who was an All-American sprinter as a freshman on South Carolina’s track team. His drop rate was just 3.7% in 2024, too.
He’s very raw, but Harbor has breakout potential if he can put it all together.
Ja’Kobi Lane, USC
One could argue Ja’Kobi Lane has already done enough to cement himself as a top receiver in the 2026 NFL Draft. On 43 receptions in 2024, he scored a whopping 12 touchdowns.
The flashes that Lane displayed indicate he’ll be a name to watch for USC heading into this season. He’s a lanky 6’4″ receiver with elite body control and ball skills. His large catch radius and coordination attacking the ball in the air make him tough to stop on 50/50 balls. His fluidity as a route runner is also encouraging.
USC’s Ja’Kobi Lane has a knack for using his frame/physicality to create separation as a big X-receiver. Could be a big riser at WR in the 2026 NFL Draft class.
Lane was seventh in the Big Ten in contested catches last season (12). pic.twitter.com/H3w6qeGaOY
— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) June 21, 2025
Lane is more of a breakout candidate than a proven entity because he hasn’t taken on a massive workload in college yet; Those 43 receptions last year were a career high in a loaded USC offense.
Being a tall receiver, Lane struggles with sinking his hips into his breaks and has too many easy drops on tape. He’s raw, but the physical tools are too good to ignore.
JoJo Earle, UNLV
JoJo Earle has been on the radar for a few years, dating back to his early days at Alabama. Between those two seasons and his following two years at TCU, though, he’s been more potential than production.
Earle’s best season was at TCU in 2023, when he finished with just 16 catches for 239 yards. He’s never had more than two touchdowns in a single season. Additionally, he’s a small receiver at 5’10” and 176 pounds who enters Year 5 of his collegiate career without a substantial year of serious production.
Despite these concerns, Earle is a notable 2026 NFL Draft name because of his elite athleticism. His explosion off the snap is impressive, and he has the deep speed to take the top off the defense. His agility after the catch is superb, giving him upside on manufactured offensive touches. Now at UNLV, he should have more chances to show that off.
Jaden Greathouse, Notre Dame
One of Notre Dame’s biggest stars from their run to the College Football Playoff Championship Game was Jaden Greathouse. In the final two games of the postseason, he combined for 13 receptions for 233 yards and three touchdowns.
Greathouse is a thickly built weapon at 6’1″ and 215 pounds. He uses that frame well, as he’s physical at the catch point and does a great job of keeping focus and adjusting to the ball in the air. He’s deceptive in his release package and has the versatility to win outside or in the slot.
Much of Greathouse’s candidacy as a 2026 NFL Draft prospect comes from the final two games of his sophomore year. Those were his only 100-yard games, not having reached 70 yards in any games during the regular season. If Greathouse can build off his strong postseason, he’ll be a strong breakout candidate.
Eugene Wilson III, Florida
After missing most of the 2024 season due to a hip injury, Eugene Wilson III is ready to show the world why he’s one of the top receivers in the 2026 NFL Draft.
In four games last year, Wilson had 19 catches for 299 yards. He finished 2023 as a first-team All-SEC Freshman, as well. He’s fast off the snap and shifty after the catch, making him a difficult opponent for defensive backs. On 97 targets during his time at Florida, he hasn’t dropped a single pass.
Because of his injury, Wilson didn’t get to build much from his freshman campaign. He’s undersized at 5’10” and 183 pounds, but if teams use him properly, that size weakness can be negated. With DJ Lagway as Florida’s starting quarterback, the sky’s the limit for what Wilson could do in 2025.